A Review of
Joseph Ciarrochi, Joseph P. Forgas, and John D. Mayer,
Emotional Intelligence In Everyday Life,
March 19, 2002
Emotional Intelligence (EI), is a term popularized around the mid 1900’s. Emotional Intelligence is the way we as a person deal with and learn our own emotions and the emotions of others. It has become popular to the point where other scholarly journals, books and even web pages have started defining the word EI and what it does in ones life. The book tries to take the term EI and with the help of other authors, turn it into a piece e the common Joe can read and understand. In the first section of the this book it considers the fundamental issues related to EI; Development of EI’s definitions, ways to measure EI, and a review of other research. In the second section of this book EI is talked about in the ways it would fit into improving our health, financial decisions, friendships, marriages, and career success. Basically how it fits into our lives, and even how to integrate it into our live like in schools.
As the Public, do we need this?
Is EI as important as IQ for one survival? According to this book it is somewhat true. One could score low on their IQ exam but very well in EQ and be just as successful in life, if not maybe more successful. This is because EI deals with the emotions of you and others. When you take a IQ test it means your good at taking test, possibly your smart, but mainly book smart. With EI you become more people smart. You know how to get along with other more and most likely make then feel better about life. With that in mind unless you live in a box one would want to know how to have at least some EI.
“It is not what you know, but who you know”, by unknown. All my life I’ve heard this and more and more now days it’s proving to be true. A person can come in to a job brand new and replace you or overpower you. This is because of who that person knew. With an EI person one would have a more positive relationship with probably more people and thus know more people that are willing to help them out. EI has been tested and proven that when high in the workplace, school, marriage, and everyday life one becomes more successful, better at handling situation, able to get along with others easier, and live happier and healthier lives.
With EI still being new and all, there are still many problems like what is really causing what. There are no real solid evidence that it is EI that causes problems such as Alexithymia, or is it the other way around?
Sadly this book did not offer any exercises for it readers. In the future it would probably benefit both the readers and authors that there may be some exercises one could do to become more EI.
EI is beneficial to everyone’s life because without it we might as well be living in a box by ourselves. EI deals with emotions of others and ourselves. Without this we probably won’t be able to handle our situations in a positive manner as where a person with low EI would not know/think ahead of the effects of his/her actions.
I was interested in the second section of this book the most. It interest me to know how things can and will affect out everyday lives. Specifically I liked the chapters on EI in schools, the workplace and in our relationships. With EI finding it’s way into schools every parent should be somewhat aware of how their children’s schooling will change, what positive outcomes and negative outcomes are there. I feel that, yes, it should be integrated into our school systems, especially because we want to teach good habits to our children at a young age. And as far as the problem how to integrate it into the system, the teachers must first learn how to develop EI as well as the parents. The parents mostly because of at such a young age children tend to look at how their parents react to each situation. By teaching both parent and teachers they will probably also be taught to integrate it into the lives of the children, and not make it a strange “new” subject. This integration I feel will help to develop the EI faster, with EI being looked at through “working glasses”, one can see that those with a higher EI quotient will be more successful at their work.
After reading this book I feel that I have gained a better knowledge of how to integrated EI into my life. Through my love life, friendships, my daughters development, and through my workplace. I now know with a better understanding of my emotions as well as twice around me I can make my life happier and less stressful. Reading the stories in this book was the main way I figured out what the author were trying to say.
The book strengths were the way they structured it to have not only researchers but also journalist to help composed this book. This made it easier for the general population to read and understand. Along with the strengths, I felt that its weakness are there are no exercises to increase ones EI but only talks of the test to determine ones EI. I also felt that if more examples of stories were used to explain what’s happening, it would make it easier for a larger population to understand the information given.
http://www.groovynetdiva.com/emotional.html
http://www.bayinsider.com/community/groups/sixseconds/
http://www.bayinsider.com/community/groups/sixseconds/
http://www.cjwolfe.com/meis.htm
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